Freedom of Information
Here's a reminder of what the struggle for freedom of information in South Lanarkshire is all about - the pay levels of traditional male council jobs.
South Lanarkshire is desperate to keep this information secret - which is very odd because no other council in Scotland behaves in this way.
The pay of a refuse worker, gardener or gravedigger is not a big secret in Glasgow - or North Lanarkshire - but for some strange reason it is a very big secret in South Lanarkshire.
In fact the pay levels are so high - some of them are on a par with highly qualified professional jobs - examples of which are detailed in the post below from 6 April 2011.
Meanwhile the pay rates of council jobs dominated by women workers - home carers, catering workers, classroom assistants and cleaners - lag far behind.
And that's what South Lanarkshire Council is so keen to keep under wraps.
South Lanarkshire (6 April 2011)
A regular reader from South Lanarkshire has been on touch to ask a question about the post dated 24 March 2011: 'Freedom of Information.'
"Why have you asked the council for details of male pay rate (for council refuse workers and gardeners) which go all the way up to Spinal Column Point 54 - surely no male jobs are paid at such high rates?"
Well the answer is that some of these jobs do indeed appear to be getting paid more than £13.00 an hour - which is an awful lot more than equivalent female jobs are paid.
Readers from South Lanarkshire have provided the evidence themselves - with copies of payslips that confirm what some of these traditional male jobs are paid.
Incredible as it sounds - these male jobs are in the same pay range as a council:
Social Worker
Economic Development Officer
Engineering Officer
Solicitor
Early Years Manager
Personnel Officer
In other words jobs that require qualifications and years of training - in many cases.
Yet the council and the trade unions still try to maintain the fiction - that they have delivered on Single Status and equal pay in South Lanarkshire.
What do readers think of that claim?
South Lanarkshire is desperate to keep this information secret - which is very odd because no other council in Scotland behaves in this way.
The pay of a refuse worker, gardener or gravedigger is not a big secret in Glasgow - or North Lanarkshire - but for some strange reason it is a very big secret in South Lanarkshire.
In fact the pay levels are so high - some of them are on a par with highly qualified professional jobs - examples of which are detailed in the post below from 6 April 2011.
Meanwhile the pay rates of council jobs dominated by women workers - home carers, catering workers, classroom assistants and cleaners - lag far behind.
And that's what South Lanarkshire Council is so keen to keep under wraps.
South Lanarkshire (6 April 2011)
A regular reader from South Lanarkshire has been on touch to ask a question about the post dated 24 March 2011: 'Freedom of Information.'
"Why have you asked the council for details of male pay rate (for council refuse workers and gardeners) which go all the way up to Spinal Column Point 54 - surely no male jobs are paid at such high rates?"
Well the answer is that some of these jobs do indeed appear to be getting paid more than £13.00 an hour - which is an awful lot more than equivalent female jobs are paid.
Readers from South Lanarkshire have provided the evidence themselves - with copies of payslips that confirm what some of these traditional male jobs are paid.
Incredible as it sounds - these male jobs are in the same pay range as a council:
Social Worker
Economic Development Officer
Engineering Officer
Solicitor
Early Years Manager
Personnel Officer
In other words jobs that require qualifications and years of training - in many cases.
Yet the council and the trade unions still try to maintain the fiction - that they have delivered on Single Status and equal pay in South Lanarkshire.
What do readers think of that claim?
